Shakuntala
Shakuntala, fictional character, heroine of the Sanskrit drama Abhijnanashakuntala (“The Recognition of Shakuntala”) written by the 5th-century Indian poet Kalidasa.
Character origin and journey
The story of Shakuntala appears in the Adi Parva, the first book of the Sanskrit epic poem the Mahabharata.
Shakuntala, the foster daughter of sage Kanva, was raised in a hermitage amid the beauty and simplicity of nature. She is the biological daughter of the celestial singer (apsara) Menaka and the sage Vishwamitra. Her birth was a result of divine intervention, as the gods, having felt jealous of Vishwamitra’s austerities, sent Menaka to distract him. After her birth, Shakuntala was abandoned by Menaka and discovered by Kanva, who raised her as his own child with great love and care. From her celestial lineage, Shakuntala inherited extraordinary beauty, grace, and virtue.
In the play, Shakuntala is first introduced in Kanva’s hermitage, where she leads a simple, idyllic life in nature. She treats the plants and animals of the hermitage as her family, embodying innocence and compassion. Her beauty is described in poetic detail when Dushyanta, the ruler of the kingdom of Hastinapur, encounters her during a hunting expedition and is captivated by her:
Her arms are tender shoots; her lips are blossoms red and warm;
Bewitching youth begins to flower in beauty on her form.
Dushyanta wonders if Shakuntala is of celestial descent, and when his suspicion is confirmed, he remarks:
To beauty such as this no woman could give birth;
The quivering lightning flash is not a child of earth.
Dushyanta remains near the hermitage, enchanted by Shakuntala. His affection deepens, and his thoughts are consumed by her beauty and virtues. Shakuntala also begins to feel the stirrings of love but struggles to articulate her emotions. Raised and guided by Kanva, she has been instilled with values of modesty and restraint. She now grapples with an internal conflict: Although she experiences deep emotions for King Dushyanta, decorum and societal norms dictate that she not express these feelings openly.
Eventually, the king and Shakuntala acknowledge their mutual affection and marry without following any traditional or formal wedding ceremonies and rituals.
Dushyanta is eventually called away to fulfill his royal duties. Promising to bring Shakuntala to his palace, Dushyanta gives her his ring as a token of their love and leaves her in the hermitage. She awaits his summons but receives none. Kanva then makes arrangements to send her to Dushyanta’s court.
One day, while lost in thought about Dushyanta, Shakuntala offends sage Durvasa by inadvertently neglecting his presence. Enraged, the sage curses her, declaring that the person she longs for will forget her. Shakuntala’s friends plead for leniency, and the sage relents. He revises the curse to be lifted when Dushyanta sees the ring.
Now pregnant, Shakuntala prepares to leave the hermitage to join Dushyanta. Her farewell to Kanva and the hermitage evokes immense grief. She expresses her sorrow at leaving her childhood home and its familiar comforts.
Upon arriving at Dushyanta’s court, Shakuntala faces the dire consequences of the curse. Dushyanta, under its influence, does not recognize her and accuses her of deception.
Shakuntala is devastated by the king’s failure to recognize her. Desperate to prove their marriage, she reaches for the ring that he had given her as a token of their love. Tragically, she realizes that she lost the ring, which could have restored Dushyanta’s memory, when she had stopped to worship the holy Ganges River. A heartbroken Shakuntala is taken away by celestial nymphs to the ashram (spiritual retreat) of her divine mother, Menaka. Dushyanta is bemused at the turn of events and receives insightful advice regarding the child Shakuntala is expecting. The court chaplain informs him that if the child bears imperial signs, such as a birthmark on his hand, his legitimacy as Dushyanta’s son will be confirmed.
Soon thereafter, the lost ring is retrieved from a fisherman, who found it in the belly of a fish. When the king’s men hand over the ring to Dushyanta, the curse breaks and the king’s memory returns. Filled with remorse, he recalls Shakuntala’s sorrowful state and his unjust treatment of her. His regret overpowers him, and he yearns for a chance to reunite with Shakuntala. During this period, Dushyanta diligently fulfills his royal duties, but his mind remains restless. Eventually, he is summoned by Indra, the king of the gods, for a celestial mission to aid in a battle against demons.
India is named Bharat for the legendary king Bharata, the son of King Dushyanta and Queen Shakuntala. In the ancient epic Mahabharata, Bharata is regarded as a great emperor who unified the Indian subcontinent, which later came to be known as Bharatavarsha (“Subcontinent of Bharata”).
On his way back from this mission, Dushyanta encounters Shakuntala on a heavenly mountain, along with their son, Bharata. A remarkable child displaying courage and strength, Bharata embodies his royal lineage. His imperial birthmarks confirm his legitimacy as Dushyanta’s heir. When Dushyanta sees Shakuntala again, he falls at her feet, apologizing profusely. Shakuntala, though initially hesitant, acknowledges his sincerity and recognizes that destiny has finally brought them together. Their conversation, filled with sorrow, longing, and reconciliation, renews the trust that had been shattered. This joyful resolution restores Shakuntala’s honor and brings fulfillment to her journey.
Shakuntala’s story is one of love, virtue, and resilience. From her celestial origin and idyllic upbringing to her trials of rejection and ultimate reunion with Dushyanta, she embodies grace and dignity. Through her transformation from an innocent girl to a queen who endures suffering and finally triumphs, the poet explores universal themes of love, suffering, and redemption.
Adaptations in Indian art forms
Shakuntala’s story has been adapted into various Indian art forms—including painting, dance, theater, and film—highlighting its enduring cultural significance.
Painting
Raja Ravi Varma’s painting Shakuntala (1898) is a prominent example of how her story has been represented in visual art. The artwork captures Shakuntala in a moment of longing as she pretends to remove a thorn from her foot while searching for her lover, Dushyanta. The artist portrays the depth of the character’s yearning by employing techniques such as chiaroscuro and realism to bring the scene to life. The painting exemplifies Varma’s characteristic style of integrating European artistic styles with Indian themes.
Dance
The story of Shakuntala has also found expression in classical Indian dance forms such as bharatanatyam and kathak. These dance styles involve intricate movements and expressive gestures (mudras) to narrate Shakuntala’s tale, emphasizing themes of love, separation, and reunion.
Theater and cinema
Adaptations of Kalidasa’s play continue to be staged across India. Modern interpretations often set the ancient narrative in contemporary contexts, opening up new avenues for exploring the story’s themes. For instance, the play titled Shakuntala Awaits (2021) depicts the characters as a modern couple navigating their relationship across continents, grappling with the same conflicts of love and rejection that were central to Kalidasa’s play.
Shakuntala’s story has been adapted into many notable Indian films over the years because of its enduring appeal. Shakuntala (1943), directed by Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre, starred Jayashree as Shakuntala and Chandra Mohan as King Dushyanta. It was a significant commercial success and the first Indian film to be commercially released in the United States. Another important adaptation is Shakuntala (1966), featuring N.T. Rama Rao and Saroja Devi, which brought the tale to Telugu audiences. More recently, Shaakuntalam (2023), directed by Gunasekhar and starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, retold the classic story.
